The first step in eye disease management is establishing that you do have a condition and that there are ways to reduce its long term effects. Having regular eye examinations gives you the opportunity to keep tabs on your eye health, and catch anything early. When it comes to managing eye disease, the earlier you know the better.

Macular degeneration causes loss of central vision, and is a painless progression. It is common that in the early stages of the disease you may not notice that your eyesight is changing, which is why it's so important to get regular eye health check ups,

The chance of Macular Degeneration goes up 50% if there is family history and it affects one in seven people over the age of 50. Smokers are especially at risk.

Focusing on eye disease management when diagnosed with Macular Degeneration is all about making positive diet and lifestyle choices. Although you can't change your genes or your age, you can take other steps to make sure you're doing the best by your eyes.

Have an eye test and make sure the macular is checked

Don't smoke

Eat a well balanced diet and exercise

If you're at high risk, chat to your doctor about supplements

Check for symptoms regularly using an Amsler grid

The best way to manage existing eye disease or to avoid contracting a disease, is to take care of yourself and your eyes. You use your eyes every day, so looking after them should be a high priority!

While glasses may be the go-to solution for eye problems, contact lenses are another alternative to frames that sit on your face - and you may find they better suit your lifestyle.

They're comfortable

Contact lenses are usually made of a silicone hydrogel material, and they sit comfortably over the front of your eye. They are available with either a hard or soft lens that is determined by what it’s made of, as is the level of oxygen that can pass through to the eye and how moist the lenses stay throughout the day. These variables come down to personal preference and what is most comfortable to you.

They can be worn for up to a month

Not only can you find variations in softness and material, but also there are many different types of contact lenses that allow you to wear them for longer or shorter periods of time. Typically, you can choose from daily, fortnightly or monthly lenses, and also decide whether you’d prefer lenses you can sleep in. If you decide on fortnightly or monthly lenses, they need to be properly cleaned and looked after. It’s common for users of daily lenses to just throw them out at the end of the day.

They can match your usual lens prescription

When getting contact lenses, you work closely with your optometrist to determine what material is most comfortable to you and to ensure that your lenses fit your eye perfectly. Not only that, but contact lenses can be multifocal so that your usual lens prescription can be matched to suit your requirements for distance and close sight work. Multifocal contact lenses leave you with clear vision, no matter what your head or eye position!

Contact lenses are a great option for people that play sport, live an active lifestyle or are in situations where glasses are impractical or less effective.

You use your eyes every day, in every waking moment. They’re one of your five senses and it’s important to look after them to make sure that you can continue to see as well as you are now for the rest of your life.

Eye examinations detect any issues, whether current or potential, with the aim of providing you with the best vision solution to reduce your risk of losing sight where sight loss is preventable. This is what you should expect and receive from an eye examination, and should be the standard of care across all optometrists and eye clinics.

Having regular eye examinations is just as important as getting regular health checkups.

While going for your first eye examination is fantastic, it’s crucial that you have them on a regular basis. Although you may not have had any sight problems, or did and purchased some glasses to combat your sight loss, your eyes develop and change. It’s entirely possible that your eyesight will change, as you grow older or engage in new activities.

Regularly visiting your optometrist means that you’re keeping tabs on any existing sight loss issues, and finding any new problems as early as possible. Much loss of sight and eye disease is slow onset and can be caused by a number of different, unrelated variables (so it’s not only genetic!). The earlier you can find any inconsistencies in your macula or retina, the better your chances of preventing any possible sight loss.

For people already with prescription glasses, regular eye examinations are vital to maintain the perfect level of correction through prescription lenses. Leaving your eye exam for five years rather than the recommended one to two can leave you with glasses that are no longer offering the best support for your eyes.

Having regular eye examinations is so important to your eye health, and can improve your quality of life down the track.